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Mattel Elects Dirk Van de Put to Its Board of Directors

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Mattel, Inc. [NASDAQ:MAT] today announced the election of Dirk Van de
Put, president and chief executive officer of McCain Foods Limited, to
the Mattel Board of Directors, effective as of December 1, 2011. This
election will increase the number of Mattel Board members from 11 to 12.

"Dirk's extensive leadership experience in diverse, global businesses,
coupled with his in-depth knowledge of the consumer packaged goods
industry, including global retail and operations, can only enhance and
add value to the Board's global business perspective," said Robert A.
Eckert, chairman and chief executive officer of Mattel. "We look forward
to welcoming him to our team."

Mr. Van de Put is an established business leader with significant global
experience and more than 20 years in the food and consumer packaged
goods industry. Appointed president and chief executive officer of
McCain Foods Limited in July 2011, Mr. Van de Put also served as chief
operating officer and was responsible for overseeing the company's
integrated global supply chain. Prior to joining McCain, Mr. Van de Put
served as chief executive officer of Novartis AG, a $3 billion global
over-the-counter consumer health business. Mr. Van de Put's background
also includes various senior executive positions, including president of
the Americas division at Groupe Danone, president of the Caribbean
division of the Coca-Cola Company and more than a decade of leadership
positions with Mars, Inc., one of the world's leading food manufacturers.

Mr. Van de Put is fluent in a variety of languages, including English,
Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German. He also holds a degree in
veterinary medicine from the University of Ghent and an M.B.A. from the
University of Antwerp.

Additionally, Tully M. Friedman, a Mattel director since 1984, has
informed the company that he intends to retire from the Board at the end
of his current term. Accordingly, Mr. Friedman will not stand for
re-election at the company's Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will
be held in May 2012. Mr. Friedman serves as the Board's independent
presiding director, chair of the Executive and Finance committees, as
well as a member of the Compensation Committee.

Given Mr. Friedman's intention to retire from the Board in May 2012, the
independent directors of the Board have selected Christopher A. Sinclair
to succeed Mr. Friedman as independent presiding director and as chair
of the Executive Committee, effective today. In addition to these new
roles on the Board, Mr. Sinclair will retain his current
responsibilities as chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Friedman will
retain his current responsibilities as chair of the Finance Committee
and will continue to serve as a member of the Executive and Compensation
committees through the end of his term.

"I want to personally thank Tully for his 28 years of service to Mattel.
I have appreciated his thought leadership, dedication and integrity, and
his counsel will be missed," said Eckert. "I also want to thank Chris
for taking a leadership role on the Board. During his 15-year tenure, he
has demonstrated a level of commitment and engagement that will serve
the company well in his new role."

About McCain Foods Limited

McCain Foods Limited is an international leader in the frozen food
industry, employing 20,000 people and operating 50 production facilities
on six continents. A privately owned company based in Florenceville, New
Brunswick, McCain generates annual sales in excess of CDN $6 billion.
The world's largest manufacturer of frozen potato specialties, McCain
also produces frozen pizza, appetizers, oven meals, juice and desserts.
The company's products can be found in thousands of restaurants and
supermarket freezers in more than 160 countries around the world. McCain
also owns The Day & Ross Transportation Group — based in Hartland, New
Brunswick — one of the largest transportation companies in Canada.